Here's the project for October. Everyone ready? Once this top is quilted, it will be hard to see where each block ends. When I design quilts, one of my main goals is to create quilts where the blocks blend.
Here's a little mini lesson on how I blend blocks. Remember you can click on the image to get a larger view.
This is all my opinion - maybe right, maybe wrong. And, it doesn't it mean that if you do yours different, mine looks any better or worse than yours, ok?
Suppose you want to make this October quilt. I hope you all want to make it! :) Suppose you want to use tan or ecru on ecru stash fabrics for the background. The picture on the left is the EQ drawing with different tans used but with a specific fabric used for the background in each individual block - different background fabrics used in different blocks. In my opinion, it's kinda choppy and there's no blending.
Suppose you decide to do some planning and you use one background fabric for one leaf block (same background fabric for each block but different background fabrics in different blocks). And, for the alternating block, you use the same fabric in all the centers but you use the same background fabric for the edges of the alternating block that will be used in the neighboring leaf block. By using these bright colors, do you see what I'm talking about?
On the right is a drawing where this concept was used. Does this one look more interesting or . . is it just in my own mind? I guess I get really excited about blending the blocks because I hate going to a quilt shop and seeing the patterns and realizing without really scrutinizing the design, that it's two simple blocks and I can easily make that quilt without purchasing the pattern!
And last, here's an idea how this same quilt would look if you used scraps where I have the same brown. I drew this out using the same fabric in the whole block but you could easily just mix and match however you choose.
Maybe the main thing we can learn from this little lesson is that no matter how you make it, the quilt is going to be beautiful. There are as many ways to put together quilts as there are quilters. Some of the quilts that I've made that I thought were awful were the ones others loved and some I thought were so fantastic, I could tell from the expression of my friends that they weren't nearly so impressed.
So, have fun and don't stress too much about colors, points, or other issues
Thanks to all who wrote me about the roof. The roofer was here early yesterday morning. Two strips of ridge vent and just a handful of shingles had to be replaced. Vince will repaint my ceiling soon. It makes me want to scream every time I look up and see that water damage on my ceiling. That's the kind of things that bugs me tremendously. But, it could have been a lot worse and I am thankful it was not.
Judy L.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Ready for the October Quilt for an Hour Project?
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16 comments:
Oh, I am getting ready for the leaves to fall........... Clearing the decks so that I can have yet another quilt top to layer in November....GRIN
it's going to be a lovely project!
I love the lesson in color contrast.. What great ideas to brainstorm on. Thanks for sharing.
Melanie
I am ready for this lovely quilt. I have always wanted to make a leaves quilt for autumn. What do you think about various black in the background with bright leaves in red, yellow, orange aso. With perhaps red stripes in the other blocks. That is the colours I am thinking about. Or do I use just a light background. Have to think some more about this. I am away this weekend and ready to join on monday.
very interesting lesson, Judy -- I'm going to play around with this a bit on EQ5 and think about my fabrics. I hope to join in on the October project
Dang, I'll have to pass on this one for now. I do like it though. I'll definitely try for the next one.
Eileen in NY
I've been pulling fall colors for the last week. I can't wait.
I am a sucker for fall quilts--maybe because it's my favorite time of the year. I'm hurrying like the dickens to get my other one done, so I can justify starting yet another NEW quilt, when I should be finishing up old ones. But plugging away a little bit at a time really does get things done! Thanks for doing this and your little mini lesson on blending blocks. I like that idea too.
Judy, this is a wonderful lesson in blending blocks! I have been quilting a long time, and had never thought of extending the colors into alternate blocks in this way. You are a very kind and generous person to share your knowledge with us! I have plans to make the project for a baby quilt, but now I want to make this one. Darn you!
Great project, Judy. I really like your setting...and the tossing of the leaves every which way. Your fabrics are gorgeous! Did you hand dyed them?
Oops! That should read: Hand dye...not dyed! ;-)
I had to purchase the beige and brown color. The leaves I am going to use my own hand dyes. I can wait for October but can't wait until it is time to start this project.
I love this quilt! Time to go stash diving! I like to work on more than one project at a time, so this will go with my future daughter-in-law's quilt which is stacked and ready to put blocks together!
It is going to be fun to see all the different versions - some bloggers are showing their fabric auditions!
Cheers!
Evelyn
Heehee, we know where I'm at with this one!
Jeanne :)
Hi Judy - I am looking forward to starting this project with you. I have a question ..... will you be making the EQ file available to us as you did with the previous "sew for an hour" pattern? I'd like to make mine smaller and would like to play around with the borders before we start.
Gail
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